A coalition of civil society organisations conducted a rally at the National Assembly, calling upon legislators to expedite consideration of the Reserved Seats Bill. This proposed constitutional amendment seeks to enhance women’s representation within Nigeria’s legislative bodies.

The rally, themed Special Seats Solidarity Rally, was convened by the Women Political Participation (WPP) coalition and brought together gender advocates, activists, and supporters who described the bill as a critical intervention to address Nigeria’s longstanding gender imbalance in political representation.

The proposed amendment bill was introduced as part of ongoing constitutional reform efforts following the rejection of several gender-related amendments during the 2022 constitutional review process.

It seeks to create additional, reserved seats for women in both chambers of the National Assembly as a special measure to bridge the gender gap in elective offices.

Speaking with journalists at the rally, gender advocate Ene Obi expressed concern that the National Assembly has yet to pass the bill despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) having released the timetable for the 2027 general elections.

She said, “The poor representation of women in our legislature is a serious democratic deficit,” Obi said. “If the bill is not passed soon, it will be difficult to implement before the next elections, and yet another cycle of exclusion will have occurred.”

Mrs Obi warned that further delays could make implementation before the next election cycle difficult. She described the current level of women’s representation in the legislature as “poor” and stressed the urgency of corrective action.

Gender advocates also mentioned that the Reserved Seats bill has yielded minimal progress. They note that many female aspirants struggle to secure party nominations or funding, highlighting systemic barriers that continue to limit women’s participation in politics.

They advocated for the passage of the Reserved seat to provide a structural solution, creating an enabling environment for women to meaningfully engage in governance.

In their explanation, they explained that despite decades of democratic governance, women remain significantly underrepresented in Nigeria’s federal and state legislatures.

Insisting that proposals for female seat reservations have yielded minimal results over the years and that a constitutional guarantee is necessary to ensure measurable progress.

Although Nigeria has consistently ranked low in global indices measuring women’s political participation, with women occupying only a small fraction of seats in the National Assembly.

As the 2027 elections approach, advocates say the coming months will be decisive in determining whether Nigeria takes a significant step toward more inclusive governance or maintains the status quo.

The bill, if signed into law, will serve as an affirmative action mechanism, aligning Nigeria with global commitments to gender inclusion and democratic participation.

Oftentimes, women in Nigeria face challenges such as limited access to campaign funding, low party support, and societal biases.  When the bill becomes law, it will help break these barriers, creating structural opportunities that ensure women’s meaningful participation in governance.

Also, it will formally integrate women into the legislative process. The bill would help make governance more inclusive as policies and decisions would reflect the needs and perspectives of a diverse population, including issues that disproportionately affect women, children, and marginalised groups.

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